Gun, ammunition sales spike following mass shooting, Obama's address

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Fuquay-Varina, N.C. — Gun and ammunition sales have been spiking in Wake County following President Obama's Sunday prime-time address and the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., last week that left 14 people dead.

Clay Ausley, the owner of Fuquay Gun & Gold, said shoppers are not just checking items off their Christmas lists, they are stocking up in anticipation that gun control laws will tighten.

"We even saw an influx of customers coming in purchasing in fear of what (Obama) was going to say," he said.

Ausley said he started work at 4 a.m. Monday morning to replenish the stock.

Pistol sales and concealed carry permits in Wake County

Nov. 2015: 1,164 pistol purchase permits

Nov. 2014: 995 pistol purchase permits

Nov. 2015: 395 new concealed carry permits

Nov. 2015: 198 renewed concealed carry permits

Nov. 2014: 381 new concealed carry permits

Nov. 2014: 149 renewed concealed carry permits

Annual totals:

2014: 10,826 people received 20,082 pistol permits

2014: 4,356 new concealed carry permits

2014: 2,608 renewed concealed carry permits

2015 to date: 10,366 people received 18,389 pistol permits

2015 to date: 4,893 new concealed carry permits

2015 to date: 2,034 renewed concealed carry permits

"With Obama making the statement that he wants to change legislation, get it to where its harder for the public to purchase high-capacity firearms, folks are going to start running to get what they can get ," he said. "The heaviest hitters have been ammunition and high-capacity magazines. The AR mags, the AK mags - they have been flowing out of here like water."

Gun owner Rebecca Eaddy says she is concerned about her legal rights.

"It is a concern because those of us who take our Second Amendment rights seriously do not want them to be infringed," Eaddy said. "We take that very seriously."

Ausley said the demand for concealed carry classes has also increased dramatically in recent weeks.

"We have added a bunch of class dates and scheduled a lot more classes, and it is still not enough to keep up with the demand we have going right now," he said.

"I don't recommend anybody just to go out and purchase a gun and go home and think, ‘I'm safe.’ A gun is a last resort," LaFree said. "It is a means of protecting my life when my life is in full danger of death or my family."

But in the wake of Wednesday's shooting in San Bernardino, gun owners said self-protection, not legislation, is on their minds.

"Criminals are going to commit these egregious acts whether there are laws in place or not," Eaddy said.

"People who are committing crimes are getting stuff illegally no matter what," LaFree said. "It's not the legal gun owners that are coming in and buying them."

According to the Wake County Sheriff's Office, there were about 170 more pistol purchase permits issued in November 2015 than in November 2014. Ausley does not anticipate the sales will slow down anytime before the 2016 presidential election.

"Some of the folks who are running for office absolutely want to get their hands on our guns, for sure, and restrict our gun rights," he said.

The group North Carolinians Against Gun Violence said it believes stronger laws could help curb violence and that universal background checks should be required.

William CampbellDec 8, 2015

Owebamba is the best gun salesman in history!

Greg TarpleyDec 8, 2015

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The Guy here is posing with an M14 Battle Rifle. Nice WRAL, so appropriate .. there are NO BATTLE RIFLEs FOR SALE !!! at least not with out an enormous cost. And why would you want one unless you were a Sniper collector. If a terrorist came out with this firearm we'd be out on the street with bleeaping tanks!!!! Only a liberal upside down gun control news agency would post a news article like this.

— Posted by LetsBeFair

Doubtful. More likely the civilian, semi-auto M1A.

Howard RoarkDec 8, 2015

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Perhaps...and I hope that it never comes to that. But, my knowledge of history states that this "authority to clean house" is the very reason the Second Amendment was written into the Bill of Rights and will never be repealed or rejected outside of a totalitarian coup. A people that controls its government knows liberty. A government that controls its people knows tyranny.

— Posted by Roger Way

Agreed. And although I don't think the 2nd is going anywhere, the constitution is a living document. It can and has been changed throughout history. It changes when there's enough support from the citizens and their elected body to make the change.

To be clear, I'm not against guns at all. In fact, my family owns several guns. I support their right as well. I just don't buy the arguments that additional legislation regarding the procurement of firearms is useless. Just like I feel that "bans" at a local and state level are laughable at best to control firearm usage by criminals.

Howard RoarkDec 8, 2015

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Not quite... A large part of the military would back a revolt by US citizens and stick to their oath to protect us . Besides they are just as sick of getting shafted by the politicians as we are...

— Posted by Sean Creasy

All speculation Sean. I'm simply stating that by the laws on the books, if the federal government feels the civil unrest is a threat, it has given itself the authority to use it's military forces and resources to neutralize it.

It is law on the books. That's all I'm trying to say here.

Sean CreasyDec 8, 2015

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Lol. And that rise would promptly be swatted away by the US military.

— Posted by Howard Roark

Not quite... A large part of the military would back a revolt by US citizens and stick to their oath to protect us . Besides they are just as sick of getting shafted by the politicians as we are...

Greg TarpleyDec 8, 2015

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Silly people! You go out and spend hundreds of your last few dollars, not on food, but on guns. Then you complain about "those people" taking all the jobs, so you're broke. Then your wife or girlfriend or both complain about your inability to satisfy them because you're always so worried about not having money or a job. You get mad at your wife or girlfriend and shoot them with your gun because you can. And we're going to take your guns away anyway, so you just wasted your last few dollars and your life for what? Yeah, ignorance and fear. Again.

— Posted by Alan Womack

You're serious, aren't you? Do you even know anyone that owns guns? I do. I know probably thousands and they quite literally come from all walks of life - doctors, lawyers, janitors, cops, business people, etc. How dare you assume anything about someone who wants to go spend their hard-earned money on something they choose to spend their money on. You simply would not put up with it if someone did the same to you.

Roger WayDec 8, 2015

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Oh trust me, I don't think it will ever get to that point either. I'm simply stating the fact that if gun advocates who think they're protecting themselves with their guns from an overreaching government, while thinking the Posse Comitatus Act was going to protect them, times have changed.

If it ever escalates to a citizen's uprising, rest assured that the Federal gov't has given itself the authority to clean house.

— Posted by Howard Roark

Perhaps...and I hope that it never comes to that. But, my knowledge of history states that this "authority to clean house" is the very reason the Second Amendment was written into the Bill of Rights and will never be repealed or rejected outside of a totalitarian coup. A people that controls its government knows liberty. A government that controls its people knows tyranny.

Howard RoarkDec 8, 2015

View quoted thread

Seriously? If things ever go THAT far, then we will clearly find ourselves once again in the midst of another devastating civil war. Not the scenario I would personally support. Not buying it, Howard...

— Posted by Roger Way

Oh trust me, I don't think it will ever get to that point either. I'm simply stating the fact that if gun advocates who think they're protecting themselves with their guns from an overreaching government, while thinking the Posse Comitatus Act was going to protect them, times have changed.

If it ever escalates to a citizen's uprising, rest assured that the Federal gov't has given itself the authority to clean house.

Bob GouletDec 8, 2015

Simple... Dont want a gun... Dont Buy one.. Also Please let it be known publicly so that I dont inadvertently(honestly hope I never have to..but one never knows) use mine to defend you..

That is all.

Roger WayDec 8, 2015

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Yeah, sorry Roger. You must have missed that bit of legislation in 2010. Here's the link for the full context.

Seriously? If things ever go THAT far, then we will clearly find ourselves once again in the midst of another devastating civil war. Not the scenario I would personally support. Not buying it, Howard...